Bond Between Brothers
by Animus et Anima
Summary: Previously titled 'When Brothers Meet'. Starts off when Russ befriends a naval officer in a North Carolina bar, and shows their interaction and its eventual effects on their siblings. Rated T mostly for language and has spoilers for through out the show.
1. Bengals vs Steelers

**Okay, so this is just something that popped into my head. It starts in sometime in 2002. There will be lots of B&B comments made in later chapters, but for now its more focused on B&B's brothers. **

**

* * *

**

Russ Brennan entered Frati Gasi, a local bar in the area. Russ had decided to try and find work in North Carolina, since out West was a bust. He had spent the past decade trying to find a job in a number of cities, and had come out with almost zero job experience. Sure, it made it a lot harder to get a job without a college diploma, but life didn't really give him that opportunity.

Russ wasn't one to go drink away his sorrows, but today was Tempe's birthday. His little sister was twenty-six today. Like always, he called her to wish her a happy birthday, and like always, he ended up talking to an answering machine. He still felt bad leaving her after Mom and Dad left, but she didn't want him around and kept blaming him for their parents' disappearance. And then, with everyone hinting that she would do better if she were in foster care, he figured she'd do better without him. He just didn't realize that she would completely cut him out of his life because of it.

After ordering a beer, Russ turned his attention to the football game that was on. Steelers were playing Bengals. At least until a younger guy came and sat down next to him. Russ took a quick glance at the guy. He was fairly tall, with light brown eyes. He had a thinner face than Russ, and a military style hair cut. "Who's winning?" the younger guy asked.

"Steelers are killing us," Russ replied, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"Bengals fan, huh?"

"Born in Ohio. You're a Steelers' fan, then?"

"Entire family is. Always have been as far as I know."

The two sat there watching the game for a while; ordering a new beer whenever their bottles became empty. Russ couldn't help but notice his drinking buddy was going through beers about three times faster than he was. Eventually, half time rolled around.

"So, if you're from Ohio, why are you here?"

"Looking for work. Doesn't seem like there's enough of it anywhere in this country."

"Always join the military. They're always looking for people." Russ let out a small laugh at his companion's idea.

"Not much for rules. I tend to end breaking them. "

"Well, then I don't have any suggestions."

"What do you do?"

"I'm in the Navy. Stationed at Cheery Point. Not quite sure how I ended up at a marine base, though."

"That's only a few miles from here, right?"

"Yeah, which is why I'm here. They've got the best beer on tap." Russ gave a half smile towards the kid. He had to admit, the beer selection was pretty good. The Navy man reached out his hand. "I'm Jared, by the way."

"Russ." There was no reason to give last names to a stranger in a bar.

The two men sat there for a minute watching a few commercials, before Russ asked, "So, you couldn't get any of the other sailors to come grab a drink with you?"

"Nah, most of us went out last night too. Serge was going to be on our asses tonight if we weren't there."

"How'd you get out of it?"

"Claimed I was sick."

"Sounds like you don't follow the rules much either."

Jared gave a smirk. "Probably more than you."

"I haven't pulled any stunts like that since I was nineteen. Oh, the game's back on," Russ pointed out.

Then men watched as the Bengals got slaughtered by the Steelers; Jared was cheering them on as Russ complained about the terrible offense. Eventually though, the game came to a close.

"That was a good game," Jared said as he stood up, an arrogant grin spreading across his face.

"Only because you destroyed us. But we'll get you back next game."

"Yeah, right," Jared answered dismissively.

"I'm serious, Jared. We've got a good line up this year."

"I can tell from that game." Jared was about to head out when he realized that Russ had yet to move from his seat. "You're sticking around for awhile?"

"Yeah. I got some things I need to sort out."

"You didn't just come here for the game did you?" Jared asked sitting back down.

"Nah. Honestly, I forgot it was on until I got here."

"Wanna talk about why you're here?"

"It's my little sister's birthday. And she's not answering the phone… again."

"You guys don't get along."

"We used to," Russ shrugged. "But then some stuff came up, and now she won't talk to me; no matter how many times I call her." Russ didn't think it was fair to dump his entire life story on Jared. Kid seemed nice enough, but not something he needed to carry around. He wasn't even sure why he was telling him about Tempe.

"She still loves you." There was no doubt in the Navy officer's voice.

"You seem pretty sure about that one."

"You're her big brother. No matter what happens, part of her will always still care about you. Even if you kill someone, she'll stick behind you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"With all the stuff my big brother and I have gone through, I've wanted to kick his ass a couple of time. But I've always loved him, just because he's my big brother."

"No, I'm pretty sure that she hates me," Russ informed his knew friend. "If I'm lucky, she'll eventually forgive me."

"She will. It must be tough on your parents. Having you two fighting all the time."

"They don't know about it." Russ hoped that Jared would just assume that his parents were oblivious or that he and Tempe were good hiding their disagreements, and just not ask any more questions about it.

Suddenly a beeper went off. It seemed as though everyone in the bar immediate went to check their own. It was Jared's however. "My CO wants me back ASAP. Apparently, he found out I was just skipping out. I'm gonna pay for this tomorrow."

"Well, it was good talking to you." Russ stuck out a hand, and Jared shook it. "Thanks for the advice with my sister."

"Thanks for watching the game with me. We should do it again." Russ nodded and immediately grabbed a napkin and wrote down his current cell phone number.

"For the next Bengal/ Steelers game."

"Why do I feel like you're hitting on me?" Jared asked.

"I don't go that way. Way more interested in woman."

Jared smiled. "Good to know we can agree on at least one thing. See you around, man."

"See ya."

* * *

**So, what do you guys think? Good, bad, okay? Let me know if you have any ideas about where this story should go. I have a general idea, but that's about it.**


	2. A Few Drinks Too Many All Around!

**Hey, so I just want to thank everyone for the reviews! They really make my week when I get them. And I hope you like this chapter. :) **

* * *

Jared and Russ began to meet up at the bar fairly often after that. They usually ended up watching whatever the bar was playing and venting about the problems of their day. Jared mostly complained about his commanding officer and bunkmates, and Russ about his boss and job (though that didn't mean he wasn't grateful for his job at the amusement park). They still never shared anything about their personal life; Russ wasn't really up for sharing his family history and Jared seemed to have enough to talk about from the Navy. Despite this, Russ was beginning to consider Jared a good friend.

Tonight, however, was this season's rematch between the two's favorite teams.

"Ready to see the Bengals lose again, Russ?"

"You're crazy if you think they're going down again."

"We'll see."

The game was better than the one that played during Russ and Jared's first meeting. By half time, both teams had scored and people in the bar were all focused on the game. Except for maybe a woman across the bar.

"Hey, Russ," Jared said, after downing his fourth beer, "I think the receptionist from that accounting firm is checking you out, again."

"You've told me that the past three times she's been here."

"She's been checking you for the past five. I just kept my mouth shut for the first two times."

"Amy's way out of my league. She's pretty, smart, funny, and has a good job. I'm just a loser."

"Are you serious? One, you don't seem too bad to me. Two, She's totally into you. If I were you, I'd try to tap that."

"You're starting to get drunk, again, Jared." The younger of the two just shrugged. Russ had quickly learned that Jared got wasted most of the time. Because the younger man knew that Russ would punch someone for talking like that.

"Just go talk to her. You did last time, and did perfectly fine."

"You dragged me over to her last time and left me standing there. It was between starting a conversation or look like an idiot!"

"But you still had a conversation with her. If you want, I'll drag you over there, again."

"Fine," Russ replied as he got up from the bar and went to talk to the woman.

"Hi," she said as he walked up. "You're Russ, right?"

"Yeah. We talked last time we were both here. I just thought I would come over and see how you were doing. You looked a little lonely."

"I was," she smile. "Take a seat."

"Can I buy you a drink?" he offered.

An hour later, they both had a couple of drink in them and an additional one in front of each and were talking. Russ would occasionally glance over at his younger friend who was enthralled by the football game, but ninety- five percent of the time his focus was on the woman in front of him. Finally, after the liquid courage had a chance to set in, Russ asked, "Amy, would you consider going out to dinner with me?"

A smile spread across her face. "I'd love to." The smile spread to his face. "If you don't mind, though, I need to make a quick phone call."

"Sure, go ahead." She walked to the nearest exit with only her phone in her hand.

As soon as Amy was out of earshot, Russ felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see the guy at the booth behind him staring at him.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Going off the stench that radiated off him, the guy was completely wasted.

"Hopefully, she will be, eventually."

"She's hot! How'd you score with a chick like that?"

"I got lucky," Russ answered shortly. He really didn't like this guy talking about Amy like this.

"Clearly."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" It was one thing for Russ to say it, but for a drunken ass it was inappropriate.

"You're just not much to look at and she's hot!"

"As you've said," he replied sourly, hoping the guy would get the message.

"Hey, if you don't want her, I'll take her." Russ had to almost hold his own fist so he wouldn't slug this guy.

"She's not a thing," Jared's voice entered the conversation.

"Who are you?" the drunkard asked.

"His friend. So, are you just an asshole or really drunk?" Russ knew this wouldn't end well. Jared never thought much after several beers, and he had the same type stench as the drunk.

"Hey, watch it, pal. This isn't any of your business."

"You insult my friend, so it is."

"Jared, go watch the game again. I can handle this."

"You've got a body guard? What are you royalty? That why the hottie's banging you?" Suddenly, a fist flew through the air and collided with the drunkard's face. "You sonovabitch!" the man yelled.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Russ asked, slightly shocked Jared would hit the unknown man.

"I don't let people talk to my friends like that!" Jared defended quickly.

"You sonovabitch!" the man repeated. The fist print had already left a bright red mark on the man's cheek.

"You know what will happen to your career if they find out you did that?" Russ asked again.

"Russ, relax. No one's going to charge us with anything."

"How drunk are you?" Russ demanded. Jared, one, didn't know if that was true, and, two, may have just given the mystery man the idea.

"I've only had a few drinks. Relax."

"Okay, go pay for your drinks," Russ instructed, pulling out his wallet to pay for his and Amy's drink. "I'm going to find Amy and tell her I need to give you a ride home. And then I'm driving you back home." Russ was trying not divulge any more information about them.

"I'm okay to drive, Russ."

"Clearly. Because you just punched a guy. Grab your stuff and let's go."

"You're not my brother!" Jared responded.

"I know that. But you need to get home."

"Fine." Jared stormed off to do as he was told. Russ put money on the table and ignored the drunk's ranting. Then, before Russ could even get up, Amy returned from her phone call.

"Russ," Amy said as she saw money on the table, "did I miss something?"

"Amy, I was just about to come find you. My friend is really drunk, and I need to give him a ride so he doesn't kill himself. I'm really sorry about this. I'll make it up to you."

"I know," she said, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Go take your friend home."

"Thanks for being so understanding."

Russ was about to drag Jared out of the bar, when Amy said, "You forgot something."

"What?"

She handed him a napkin with ten digits on it. "My number so we can set up a date." Russ smiled and went to drag his friend home.

Amy went to sit back down, when the guy at the booth over asked, "Is that your boyfriend?"

"Hopefully, he will be soon."

"What's his name? I think I went to high school with him."

"Russ Brennan."

"Maybe not," the guy with a red cheek said, as he got up and whipped out his cell phone.

* * *

Three days later, Russ was arrested at work for assault. Apparently the drunken guy Jared punched was the assistant district attorney, Sam Burley, and only remembered a name to associate with his black eye. Russ knew that if Jared's name was linked to this, his military career would be destroyed, so he kept quiet that Jared was involved to every lawyer involved; and with his one phone call contacted the one person he owed an explanation to.

"Amy Hollister."

"Hi, it's Russ. Russ Brennan... From the bar."

"Oh, hi. Look, if you're calling about the date, can I call you back? I've kind of got my hands full at the moment."

"I was calling to tell you that I won't be able to go out for a while."

"Why? Is everything okay?"

"Do you remember my friend, Jared, from the bar?"

"The one who had a few too many beers a few days ago? Yeah, Why?"

"He got drunk and kinda punched a guy. Turns out the guy's an ADA, and somehow the guy remembered my name in all this mess, and filed against me."

"You're in jail? Does Jared know?"

"No, I can't really reach him when he's training for a mission. And it's not really the type of thing you leave on an answering machine."

"Why are you calling me, though?"

"Because I didn't want you to think that I had only asked you to dinner because I was drunk."

"You can still get out of there by just telling them what really happened."

"I can't do that to him. He's basically got his career, brother, and grandfather. My job is just to pay the bills."

"You're a great man, Russ."

"So, when I get out, if you're still able to, can I take you out to dinner?"

"Yes." Despite the rotten situation he was in, Russ couldn't help but smile.

* * *

**Okay, so I'm trying to keep the characters pretty true (which is rather difficult considering I haven't seen an episode with either Russ or Jared in like a month...) and show both good and bad qualities of Russ and Jared. Also, reviews are welcomed, like always. **


	3. Free

**Hey, I wanted to thank Mc Alice Bones Salvatore for reviewing. And I'm happy that people are reading this! **

* * *

Russ was sentenced to six years in minimum security (the Burley, the ADA, was very good at his job, even if he was a jackass when he was drunk). He had been surprised that Amy had come to every part of his trial, and Jared had been able to get off base to come, too, though he was usually late.

The time in the jail wasn't as bad as Russ thought it would be; he was able to have visitors, so Amy came to visit him about once every week. Jared never came by, but according to Amy he had been shipped off to some part of the Middle East.

Jared and Russ had never exchanged email addresses, so even with Russ' limited computer times, they couldn't keep in touch. Russ couldn't even search the internet for information on his friend, since he was unsure of what squadron Jared was with. His relationship with Amy developed while he was imprisoned for his friend. He had been surprised to learn she had two young daughters, Emma and Hayley. But after their few visits, he realized how special these girls were, and how much he loved their mother. His heart had broken when Amy had told him Hayley had cystic fibrosis. He had decided to everything he could to help them when he was released.

Finally, in November of 2005, Russ went before the parole board. Since it was his first offense and he had not been disruptive during his time, he was released. He was on parole for at least another two and a half years. Russ knew he wouldn't do anything stupid to get him sent back to prison. He immediately went to see Amy and her family. His next stop was to see if his boss had kept his mechanic position at the fair ground. He was grateful when he found out that his boss had thought he was the best mechanic so made sure he had a job when he came out.

He had been walking out to his car when he pulled out his phone. He knew there was no way Jared would still have the same phone number after three years but still had to try. So, Russ was surprised when a familiar picked.

"Yeah?" a sleepy voice answered.

"Jared? It's Russ."

"Russ? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"About six o'clock in North Carolina."

"Wait, a second. How are you calling me?"

"On my cell phone."

"You're out?" Jared was more awake now, though still quiet. Probably so his bunkmates wouldn't wake up.

"Yesterday."

"Amy told you that I was shipped out like two days after your trial?"

"Yeah, she told me."

There was only a half a moment of silence before Jared stated (a little louder than before), "Why didn't you rat me out? You didn't punch that douche bag."

"You're actually getting somewhere with your career. I'm a mechanic. Plus, you slugged the guy for me."

"You went to jail for me! I definitely owe you."

"I'll collect someday."

"So, did you escape or get parole?" Jared asked, humor echoing in his voice.

"Paroled. And there's no way I'm doing anything to screw it up."

"You never know, with me as a friend you might end up hiding or aiding a criminal."

"I've already gone to jail for you once, man. I'm not going to do it again."

"So, did your parents and sister come to visit you often?" Jared asked after a moment. Russ knew there was no mal- intention behind his friend's voice. He figured it was time to tell Jared the truth.

"No. I'm not even sure my sister knows I'm in jail. And my parents, well I don't even know if they're dead or alive. They disappeared when I was nineteen. Just left us before Christmas. I was gone before New Year's." Russ had often wondered if his parents' disappearance had anything to do with them changing their names when he was seven. But that would be too complicated to explain. Plus, he couldn't tell anyone, or he and Tempe could end up dead.

"What about your little sister?"

"She went into foster care. It was better for her to go to people who wanted to take care of kids than me, her big brother who didn't even have a college education."

"So that why she's so pissed at you?"

"Yep. Can't really blame her. I've tried to check up on her, but she stonewalls me if at all possible."

"Like I told you when we first met, she still loves you, man. You're her big brother."

"Would you forgive your older brother for leaving you?"

"Yeah, probably. I mean it would take awhile, but if he did it to help me, no reason not to. You were trying to give her a better life."

"She's done well," Russ commented, remembering seeing her name in print on the New York Best Seller's List. Which reminded him, he still had to go buy the book and read it.

"Hey, Russ, I got to go. But call me next time you have a minute, now that you're out. But don't wait until it's two in the morning over here."

"Okay, good talking to you again."

"You too. And I still can't believe you went to jail for me."

"Again, I'll collect." And with that the two friends hung up.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think? I'm slightly worried that people are getting bored with this story. Would it help to know we haven't seen the last of the cursed ADA? I don't know; just let me know what you guys are thinking.**


	4. Past from the Phone

**Okay, so I kind of realized I haven't put the disclaimer up for this story... Oops. So, for the entire story, I do not own the characters from the show, only the ones I make up. I do not own Bones at all; it is the property of Hart Hanson, Kathy Reichs, and Fox. I do own the first and second season on DVD, but that's it.

* * *

**

It was February of 2006, when Russ Brennan's phone rang. He didn't know who would be calling him at two in the afternoon, everyone he talked to was working, he hadn't given his number out to any companies recently, and most importantly he didn't recognize the number. Except it was the same area code as Tempe, Washington DC.

"Hello?"

"Hi, my name is Special Agent Booth; I'm looking for Russ Brennan."

"What can I do for you?" Russ asked.

"I work for the FBI. I'm looking into your parents' disappearance. I know its been a long time, but I was wondering what you could tell me."

"Well, what do you want to know? My parents said they were going Christmas shopping for my sister and me and never came home. We reported them missing when they still weren't back when we woke up the next morning. They found their car on the side of the road a few weeks later. That's all I know," Russ answered curtly.

"Do you know if your parents had any enemies?"

Russ suddenly remembered the man his dad had pointed out to him when he was still a young child. _'If you ever see this man, take your sister and run.'_ The words rang through his head. But to the agent, he only said, "My dad was a science teacher and my mom was a book keeper. So, besides the few angry students my dad had to fail, I don't think anyone had a problem with them. We were just a normal family. Is new evidence found that might tell us where they are?"

"Um, no. I'm just trying to try up a few loose ends for someone. If you think of anything, will you give me a call?"

"If I find out anything, sure." The agent gave left Russ his number, and the conversation ended.

Russ immediately began to wonder what had randomly spurred someone to look into his parents' disappearance. Tempe was working at some museum and writing books, so she wouldn't have done so. Russ remembered his father telling him that if he told anyone his name was Kyle Keenan, even if it was the cops that Tempe or he could end up dead. If these people could get into a local authority, why not a federal one? It must be related to that; whatever had caused his parents' to change their names was resurfacing.

Russ needed to talk to someone. Amy would tell him to relax and that he was looking too much into a simple phone call. He wasn't very close to anyone from work, either. Sure, he was popular among them, but he didn't trust any of them enough. He didn't really know many people outside of that, since prison had limited his social contact. He thought about calling Tempe, but she was too young to remember their life as the Keenan's and didn't want to give her hope about their parents' case. That all assuming she would even pick up the phone.

So, he picked up his cell phone and called the one person who would be honest with him that he had once told about his parents' abandoning him and his sister.

"Yeah."

"Jared, the cops just called me."

"Shit, Russ, have you already screwed up parole?"

"What? No. They're looking into my parents' disappearance again."

"Okay. Why are you calling me to tell me?"

"Don't you think it's weird to look into a cold case from over a decade ago when there hasn't been any new evidence since a week after they left?"

"Yeah, it's a little weird. Did your sister ask them to?" Jared asked as an obvious question.

"No. She doesn't have any connection to law enforcement."

"So? It's possible to ask for people to look into old cases. Or it could be some assignment for a new guy. And you never know, maybe they'll turn something up in your parent's old file."

"Hopefully. I just feel like the guy who called wasn't telling me something. He said he was trying to tie up loose ends for a friend."

"Again, maybe he knows your sister. Would it be so weird for her to know a cop?"

"She's not exactly what you would call social. At least, not last time I talked to her." Though, honestly last time he had really talked to her was when she was fifteen.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. Do you want me to try and find out what's going on? I've got family in law enforcement."

"No. I just wanted to know if I was over reacting."

"Oh, well, why didn't you just ask that? You are."

"Thanks," Russ replied sarcastically.

"Hey, you asked. Look, my CO's looking for me."

"Okay. Thanks for the advice." Russ listened to the dial for a second before closing his own phone. He still felt as though his family was about to be shaken up again though.

* * *

**Okay, sorry it's a little shorter than usual. It was more just a look into what I thought might be going through Russ' head when he heard that a random agent (to him) was looking into his parents' case. Because we all know Brennan was oblivious to the criminal and dangerous past of her family, but from the first season finale we know Russ knew more about what was going on. And it brought Booth into the story. :)**

**Anyway, like always, reviews are welcomed and even encouraged. **


	5. Sober Up

**Hey, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. :)**

**

* * *

**

Less than four months later, Russ received a visitor at work. The man introduced himself as Agent Booth, the G-Man who had called about his parents before. Apparently, they had found the remains of Russ' mom and Tempe had identified them. It wasn't until Russ got to DC did he find out that this Booth guy was partnered with his sister who apparently worked with FBI on a regular basis. So, Jared was right; Tempe had asked Booth to look into their parents' death.

While he was helping his sister and the FBI guy find out what happened to his parents, he was forced to tell Tempe about their alternate identities. He had to tell her about how Mom and Dad weren't always who they said they were. That she hadn't always been Tempe Brennan. She had reacted by slapping him. But her agent friend calmed her down and sent Russ to their artist friend. He decided if Tempe trusted these people, he could too. He described the man his father had pointed out to him when he was seven.

Tempe and Agent Booth were able to find the man, and, according to Tempe, the man said that their dad killed their mom. No way Dad killed Mom. But then, when he went back to Tempe's place there was a message from their father telling them to stop looking. So, of course, he and Tempe spent the following summer reconnecting; and spending a little time trying to find their father. (Neither one of them was very good at listening.)

Eventually, though, they returned to their normal lives. Tempe got back to solving crimes with the FBI, and Russ went back to Amy and her girls. He and Jared talked about a couple times a month, but nothing exciting ever came up. At least not anything they shared. Russ didn't tell Jared about the information found on his and Tempe's parents' disappearance, and Jared still had yet to reveal anything about his family, except for he had a brother and was close to his grandfather.

Russ was beginning to see that Jared had more than liking for alcohol. It seemed whenever he called his friend, Jared was getting wasted. And he usually had some story about what he had done while intoxicated; luckily, none of them were as bad as the ADA incident. After about six months of these smashed sagas, Russ finally confronted Jared about it.

"Hello?" Russ immediately heard a loud background. It sounded like any bar one would find. That didn't surprise Russ.

"Jared, it's Russ."

"Hey, man, how's everything going back in the states?"

"Good. What about on your end?"

"As good as it can get. Just out grabbing a beer with the guys."

"Yeah, that's why I was calling."

"What do you mean?"

"How often do you go out for a beer?"

"What?"

"Every time I call you're at a bar."

"So?"

"I think you might have a problem, man."

"Are you serious? I dunno about you, but it cost me a fortune to talk to you with all these long distance fees. So you're going to spend it lecturing me?"

"Depends are you going to hang up on me if I say yes?"

"Probably."

"Then no. But you don't think drinking every night is a problem?"

"Hey, you haven't been in a war zone!" Jared argued, forgetting his friend's agreement not to lecture him. "You don't know what it's like over here!"

"I never said I did. But how many people there go out every night to get drunk?"

"So, I go out with new people a lot. Russ, relax. I know you're a big brother, but I've already got one and don't need another."

"Look, I'm not trying to be a brother, just a friend."

"So, friends call each other drunks?"

"I never said that! But how many drinks have you had tonight?"

"I dunno. A few, does it matter?"

"You tend to do and say stupid stuff when you get drunk."

"Like when?"

"You got me sent to jail for punching an ADA!"

"Hey, I was helping you then! He was being an arrogant ass!"

"I know that, but it doesn't mean you had to slug him!"

"I thought you didn't care about that anymore!"

"You got me sent to jail!" Russ said so loudly, a couple of people turned to stare at him. A mother actually began rushing her child away from Russ. In a quieter voice he continued, "People don't tend to get over that, Jared!"

"I didn't ask you to take the blame for me!"

"It would have ruined your career, though. A rewarding job in the military or a mechanics job at the local fair. Which was one's going to be in more danger from an assault conviction? And you did it for my girlfriend! I should have been the one to throw the punch- probably would have in the next few minutes if you hadn't come over."

"So now you're mad at me for not letting you throw the punch?"

"No, I'm just saying you wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been drinking."

"Okay, I get it. You want me to stop going out every night. You don't have to be such a big brother about it."

"I already told you that I'm just trying to be a good friend. Look, if you do something else stupid, someone might not be able to bail you out. Have you actually had to take responsibility for your bone- headed mistakes?" From the little Jared had told Russ of his childhood, his older brother was always bailing him out of trouble. Jared never came out and said it, but never talked about his own punishments but his older brother's.

"What are you talking about? I take my own punishments! Or does this have something to do with you being a shitty brother?" Even when drunk, he apparently knew which buttons to press to get under Russ' skin.

"Hey, that's way out of line! I told you, me and Tempe get along fine now! And when was the last time you took responsibility for your actions?"

Russ heard the bar background noise for a few moments before Jared answered, "If you're just going to nag me, then don't call!"

"I'm not trying to nag on you."

"You sure? Because that's what you've been doing this entire time."

"Fine, maybe this wasn't a good idea," Russ admitted. "Jared, just try to sober up some. I'd like to have you get to know Amy and her girls more when you get back, but if you're going to be drunk on your ass, I don't want you near them."

"You know what, forget it. Don't call me, anymore."

"Fine. Call me when you sober up."

"I'm not a drunk!" All of the sudden, Russ heard nothing but a dial tone. Half the world away and Jared had hung up on him in a drunken rage. Russ would admit he hadn't handled it the best, but Jared had hit some buttons that were best left un-pushed. If Jared was going to be a drunken idiot, maybe it wasn't a bad thing for them not to talk…


	6. Reconnecting

**I do not own Bones or any of these characters; just borrowing them.

* * *

**

The silent stalemate between the two lasted longer than they would have predicted. The time in between held a lot of changes for Russ. He ran away with his father, was arrested for bailing on parole and aiding and embedding a criminal, taken back to jail (this time near Tempe), released from jail, had his dad get off on all his incriminating charges because his sister (who never met a rule worth breaking) fudged the facts, and now Russ was married to Amy and helping her to raise Hayley and Emma. Best of all, Hayley was now getting treatment for her disease and it seemed to be effective. Life was going better than it been since '91 for Russ.

It was January of 2009, when Russ' phone began to vibrate. He quickly picked it up, not even bothering to look at the caller ID. It was probably Amy or his dad. On the rare occasion it was Tempe, but she had just called last week, so he doubted it was his sister.

"Yeah?"

"Russ? It's Jared." He wasn't expecting that voice on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, hey. How are you?" Russ asked carefully. He still remembered last time they talked. He had told Jared to sober up before calling him, and Jared had been so pissed he told him not to call him. Russ had complied with Jared's request, though had thought about calling him on more than one occasion with everything that had gone on in the past several years.

"Good. I'm back in the States, now. Working at the Pentagon."

"Wow. That's pretty impressive."

"Thanks. You know, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. You saved my ass, what seven years ago now? I still owe you for that, man."

"Yeah, I guess." There was an awkward moment of silence. "Was it really seven years ago?"

"Think so..."

"Wow."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Jared asked, "You still there?"

"Still breathing."

"Look, I remember you saying your sister worked in Washington. Maybe next time you're up here visiting her, we could meet up for lunch or something. You know, catch up."

"Sure, that'd be good. I was going to be in DC in a couple of weeks."

"Great… Russ, you know, I did wait until I sobered up to call."

"You actually listened to me?" Russ couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. He didn't think Jared would have listened to him, especially after their last conversation.

"Don't be so surprised!" Jared half laughed.

"Considering the one time I mentioned it, you told basically told me to piss off, I didn't think you would listen."

"Okay, well, maybe it was you and a couple of other of people telling me I needed to get my head on straight. My brother lost a promotion because of me. Our mutual friend, grandfather, and him all told me to shape up. That on top of you telling me, I figured I should listen."

"Good." Russ was really happy to hear it.

"But you know what really got me? Getting shoved off a barstool."

"Did you really get into another bar fight?" Russ knew of a few guys who always got into bar fights, but Jared wasn't one of them. Well, besides when he punched the ADA.

"No. My brother's partner got pissed at me for what I said about Seel when I was a little tipsy. The next day, she came up to me and pushed me out of my seat." Russ just assumed Seal was a nickname for his brother, though he wasn't sure what someone could do that would give them the nickname.

"At least someone was able to knock some sense into you," Russ said with a little smile on his lips.

"Yeah, just wouldn't have guessed it would be a squint," Jared laughed.

"What?" Russ had heard the term 'squint' before but couldn't place it.

"Nothing," Jared sighed into the phone. "So, you'll be up in a few weeks?"

"Yeah. Amy and the girls are going to spend a girl's weekend visiting her mom. So, I thought I'd go visit my dad and sister. It's been a few weeks."

"Great…Wait, back up. Did you just say your dad? I thought he went missing like fifteen years ago or something."

"You remember when I called you to ask about why someone would be opening a cold case?"

"Yeah, and I told you to relax, it was probably your sister asking someone to look into it or a routine check-up."

"Well, you were right. My sister had pulled some strings. Anyway, they found my mom's body and it went from there. Long story short, my dad's back."

"That's great about your dad. Sorry about your mom, though."

"It's been a few years since I found out."

"Still, man, I know how hard it is losing a mom."

"You're mom died, too?"

"No telling. She left before I was seven, and we haven't heard from her since."

"Looks like neither of us have had perfect lives, huh?"

"Good to know," Jared answered sarcastically. "So, when you come up I know a great diner. It's called the Royal Diner-"

"I know the place. I got shot at last time I was there."

"What? I think my phone's misconnecting. You got shot at?"

"I'll explain when I come up."

"Okay, well, obviously not there. You know about Wong Fu's?"

"I've heard of it. I think my sister knows about it. I'll ask her for directions there. So meet there in a few weeks?"

"Can't wait to see you, man." And like so many times before, the phone line went dead.

* * *

**So what did everyone think?**

**Oh, by the way, can anyone explain the Bones timeline? After last night's episode, I'm kind of confused. I thought that B&B didn't return until like December or January because of the seven month interval, but apparently I was off... If you can, just send me a PM or right it as a review.**


	7. Discoveries in the Restaurant

**I don't own nothing; it all belongs to Hart Hanson and FOX.

* * *

**

It was the third weekend of February when Russ finally made it to Washington DC. Max was grateful to see his son and made sure to spend plenty of time with him; Tempe however was busy with work… like always. It at least made it easier to escape to the restaurant he and Jared had agreed on a month before.

He entered Wong Fu's and saw his friend sitting at the counter. He quickly went up and joined his friend. He apparently caught Jared off guard, considering the naval officer quickly turned to face Russ.

"Long time, no see," Jared said. It was clear to Russ that he was plastering a smile on his face by choice and it wasn't a natural response.

"I'll say. You don't look as much like a kid since I saw you last."

"Last time you saw me was during your trial," he pointed out.

"Man, that was like a lifetime ago."

"Yep. Hey, Sid! Drink for my friend?" A man quickly came from the back and stared at Jared.

"Hey, you here with him?" the man, Sid, asked Russ who nodded affirmative. "Okay, you can have a beer. Just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to drink it himself." He quickly brought one out and placed it in front of Russ. "And you're guys food will be out in a minute."

"But I didn't order," Russ tried to remind Sid.

"It's Sid; he knows what you want better than you do."

"Last person who tried ordering on their own got indigestion and came back for a remedy," Sid reminisced. Russ shrugged, trusting the bar tender and his friend's word. Sid went on back to start preparing food, leaving the buddies to silence.

"So, how's work been? Pentagon everything you thought it would be?" Russ tried to start a conversation.

"Yeah, Pentagon was nice."

"Was?"

"I got fired last week," Jared said, then taking a drink of his club soda.

"You've only been there for like three months, haven't you?"

"Yeah, well, I kinda used my job to help save my brother's life."

"Okay, I missed the part where that's enough to get you fired."

"I lied to get the materials needed to save him."

"What happened to him?" Russ asked.

"Kidnapped." It was a short answer, but all that was needed. Russ knew what it was like to suddenly hear your sibling was kidnapped. He had been shocked to return from a camping trip two years before to get a message saying Tempe had been abducted and they had no idea who had taken her. Luckily, the next message was from Tempe herself saying she was okay and that she and her colleague had been rescued. It still bothered Russ that he hadn't been there when his sister needed him, again.

"At least you could do something, Jared."

"Yeah and finally caught the Gravedigger," he added.

"The Gravedigger?" Russ knew the nickname. It was what Tempe had called the son of a bitch who had taken her. "Please tell me that son of bitch is going suffer."

"Between the beating that we gave her and being stuck in prison hopefully for life, she better suffer."

"She? She was a girl?"

"Yep. You sound surprised."

"I just assumed that it was a guy." Russ let a small smile grace his lips as he said, "My sister would probably give me a lecture about being sexist or something for that comment. Though she called the Gravedigger a guy, too."

"Yeah. My brother's partner is the same way."

"The one who slugged you?"

"Tempe's memorable like that. Actually, she and another one of the squints are the reason Seeley was kidnapped. Gravedigger wanted the evidence they had collected against her after she and the bug guy were taken, and got them to trade it for Seeley's life." Russ' head snapped towards Jared. Tempe was an uncommon name already, so how many of them could have been kidnapped by this Gravedigger and lived? And Seeley was Agent Booth's first name, wasn't it? The odds of them still talking about two different groups of people suddenly became about zero. But that would mean that Jared was Booth's brother… How could they have both missed that?

"Tempe as in Temperance Brennan?" Russ tried to confirm the thoughts running through his head.

"Yeah. You a fan of her books?" Apparently Jared hadn't made a connection yet.

"A little more than that," Russ admitted, not quite sure how to tell his friends of their six degrees of separation.

"You use to date her?" Jared guessed as Russ took another sip of beer. The beer almost came right back out; instead Russ just began to choke a little on the liquid.

"What? No! God, no! That's disgusting- no!" Russ finally managed to spit out.

"Hey, no shame if you did. Tempe's great; she's got the brains, look, and personality. Good kisser, too-"

"Are you trying to get me to slug you?" Russ asked, seriously wondering just that. This was his baby sister Jared was talking about. The one he would find during school just to make sure the other kids weren't picking on her. The one who he cheered up when she had nightmares and didn't want to tell their parents. He knew she had grown up a lot since then, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear about good of a kisser she was or anything like that.

"What? No. Why are going to slug me?"

"Because I don't like anyone talking about my little sister like that!" Russ said rather loudly, causing the other customers in the restaurant to look their way.

"Tempe's your little sister? Like the author/ forensic anthropologist who works with the FBI?"

"Yeah. And by the sound of it, Booth's your big brother."

"Talk about a small world," Jared muttered.

"You can say that, again," replied Russ taking another swig from his bottle. "You kissed my sister?"

"I didn't know she was your sister! Why would I have made the connection between my North Carolina drinking buddy and brother's partner? When do you figure out I was Seeley's brother?"

"When you said his partner, Tempe, had been taken by the Gravedigger."

A slight look of relief washed over Jared's face. "So, we're both idiots for not realizing it." Russ simply nodded in agreement.

Sid came out then, carrying to plates and sat them down in front of them. Jared decided to inform the man of their discovery. "Sid, you'll never guess who Russ is."

"Bone- Lady's brother," Sid answered immediately. Jared's face dropped a little.

"How'd you know?"

Sid gave Russ a look that clearly said 'duh' while verbally stating, "I'm Sid."

* * *

**So, I have the rest of the chapters basically done. I can either upload them one at a time or all at once. But I'd like to do which ever way you guys want me to, so which ever way has more people tell me yes to will be what I do. So, I actually kind of need some input on this one... Plus any reviews on the story would be nice too. :)**


	8. Meeting the Families

**Okay, I want to thank everyone who commented. And the people who voted to for me to place the rest of the chapters up all at once won. I'm sorry everyone who voted one chapter at a time.**

**I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the story. :)**

* * *

Not too long after that day at Wong Fu's, Jared called up Russ to tell him he was going to go travel around India. He asked if Russ wanted to come with him, but Russ said he couldn't because of Amy and the girls. Jared understood; he also told Russ he had tried to convince Booth to go, but he had too many commitments in Washington. So Jared would be leaving in the next few days alone. Jared told his friend that he was going to find himself, so he wasn't going to talk to anyone back in the states.

Seven months later, Russ was stuck in traffic on his way home from work when his cell phone rang.

"Russ Brennan."

"Hey, it's Jared. I'm back."

"Great! How was India?"

"Amazing. It's a different world over here."

"Great, next time I'm in DC you'll have to tell me about it."

"Also need to introduce you to Padme."

"Padme? You met someone and convinced her to come back with you?"

Jared let a small laugh out, "She lives in Alexandria as a teacher."

"You seriously met a girl who lives in DC while the two of you were traveling in India?"

Jared let out a laugh. "That's basically what Seeley asked me, but yeah. I'd love for her to meet you. She's meeting Seeley today, Pops next week, and a few other people in the next few days."

"Amy, the girls, and I were going to come visit Tempe in a few weeks. Meet at Wong Fu's then?"

"Cool."

Several weeks later, Russ held the door to Wong Fu's open as his family walked through it. Hayley rushed in with Emma right on her tail. "Hey, Emma, Hayley, don't run inside!" Russ tried to instruct, but it fell on the deaf ears of the eleven and nine year old. Amy was right behind them.

"Give up, Russ, we both now that they've got too much energy," she said with a slight laugh.

"Doesn't mean I can't try."

"You're stubborn, did you know that?"

"Must run in the family. You've met my sister and dad." Hayley ran up to her mom and step- dad with her little sister only one step behind her.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

"Because I want you to meet the guy who introduced me to your mom."

"Where is he?" Emma asked. Russ looked around the bar, but didn't see any signs of Jared.

"Probably running a little late. Why don't you guys go pick out a booth for us?" With that, the girls ran towards a booth and their parents had no choice but to follow.

They had been sitting for about five minutes when Sid came over with four drinks in his hand. He placed down drinks in front of each person. "How you doing? Your food will be out in a minute," he told the family.

"We didn't order," a confused Emma told him. Russ looked at his family, seeing an identical look on each face.

"Sid knows what you want to order better than you do; trust me."

"No Jared today, Russ?"

"He and his fiancée are supposed to us here."

"Fiancée? Jared? That's a story I can't wait to hear. I'll make sure they find you," Sid promised, before walking back to prepare the family's food.

Amy shortly leaned over to Russ and asked, "Did you tell him how picky of an eater Emma is?" Russ shook his head, having complete confidence in Sid's abilities. His wife looked slightly less convinced.

Soon enough, Russ spotted Jared and Padme enter the dinning establishment. It only took a moment for the newer couple to spot the family. Russ and Amy both stood up to greet him. The Jared shook Amy's hand first.

"You probably don't remember me," Amy started, but Jared cut her off.

"Amy. You're the one I encouraged Russ to talk to."

"Encouraged?" Russ asked skeptically.

"If I remember correctly, you introduced us and then walked away," Amy reminisced with a sparkle in her eye, causing all of the adults to laugh and the girls to look up at all of them.

"I'm Padme," the other woman said, extending her hand to Russ then Amy once the laughter had calmed.

"Russ Brennan."

"You know a lot of Brennans, Jared," his girlfriend told him with a wink. "I met his brother, Seeley, and his partner, Temperance Brennan. Not related to her are you?" Her voice indicated a joke; however it was everyone else who understood the humor behind her words that she missed.

"We're in town visiting Aunt Tempe. And I'm Emma and this is Hayley," the girl told the stranger.

Jared stepped in at this point noticing her slightly crimson cheeks. "Sorry, did I forget to mention that?"

"Yes."

"If it helps, we didn't make the connection for years," Russ imputed, gaining him a weak smile from Padme. "And it wasn't like I never mentioned Tempe, either."

"Yeah, it's _real _clear when you refer to her as 'my sister,'" Jared pointed out. "And I would have told you Seeley was my brother if you'd ever told me that Tempe worked with him."

"Who's Seeley?" Emma asked.

"Agent Booth," Amy answered.

At her little sister's still confused face, Hayley continued, "The guy who brought us the Christmas tree last year. Aunt Tempe's boyfriend."

"Oh, I like him." The girls went back to their own little world leaving the parents to contemplate what they knew of Booth and Tempe's relationship.

"Shouldn't you tell them that they aren't dating?" Padme asked after a minute.

"They've been dancing around each other for at least a year. Can't be too much longer before they give into the tension," Jared told his girlfriend.

"A year? At least four years," Russ corrected remembering the sparks flying between them when he went up to help with his mom's murder.

"Cam says it's almost constant at the lab," Jared laughed. Russ recognized the name from his father's trial and conversations with Tempe as the pathologist at the Jeffersonian.

"Why are we discussing your sister's love life?" Amy asked.

"It is a little weird that you two want to play match maker for the two. Though Temperance and Seeley definitely have a mutual crush. It's worse than watching some of the kids in my class."

"You're a teacher?" Amy asked. At Padme's nod, Amy continued, "My sister's a teacher. She teaches first grade in North Carolina."

"I teach third grade in Alexandria." The two women immediately began to discuss what they had in common, and eventually their men joined into their conversations.

* * *

**I don't own Bones or any of the characters that are from it, by the way.**


	9. Our Siblings are Idiots

**I don't own Bones or anything else.**

* * *

Jared and Padme (who were now engaged) began to appear more in Russ and his family's life after that meeting. Jared and Padme had come to visit them several times in the past few months, and every time Russ and any part of his family went to Washington, they made sure to have a meal with them.

It was one of the times when Russ was alone visiting alone. He knew the past week had been tough on Tempe; the woman who had kidnapped her and Booth and all the other people had been on trial this week. He hadn't been able to get off from work, but according to their father (who was calling from jail for some reason that Max wouldn't say), it really took its toll on Tempe. He had been with Tempe all of yesterday, so today he was going to grab lunch with Jared before heading back to North Carolina.

They had agreed on meeting at Wong Fu's like they always did. However, unlike usual, Russ was running late. Tempe had just heard about an opportunity this week and talked none stop about it for the past thirty- six hours. Russ had sat there the entire time listening about how the Maluku Islands excavation was going to undercover the next big discovery in human evolution. It all sounded nice to Russ, but it was a year long trip.

Jared was already sitting at the counter when Russ entered.

"Hey, sorry, I'm late. Tempe was telling me about this anthropological dig that she's shipping off too for a year. I don't think I've seen her so excited about something since Mom and Dad took us to Sea World and she was able to see the dolphins." He couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"Don't worry about it. I just hung up with Seeley. Apparently it's the season to go across the sea. He's going to go train snipers for the army for a year."

"Wait; aren't you getting married in August? That will make him miss the wedding." Russ remembered getting the invitation; he and Amy had even sent back their RSVP right before he had come up to DC.

"That's what I told him. He was going to be my best man; Parker, his son, is going to be the ring bearer."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"Padme and I don't really have a choice now the invites have been sent out."

"Why'd he agree to go?" Russ asked.

Jared looked at Russ like he was an idiot. "You came in here late because Tempe is leaving for a year; and you wonder why Seeley is leaving for a year? You've noticed the tension between them. Hell, all of Washington has noticed it." He cracked a smile before adding, "Pops has been referring to her as 'Seeley's lady friend' behind his back. She left a pretty good impression on him."

Russ' mind was still on Jared's reason for Booth's departure. "You think he's just leaving because Tempe is?"

"Unless you think it's the other way around," replied a skeptic Jared.

"No way. Tempe said that she'd been looking into the Maluku Project for a week or so. Though, she'd probably have a harder time if Booth was staying in the country."

"And Seeley wouldn't even consider going back to the army if she was staying at the lab." They raised the drinks that Sid had mysteriously placed in front of them, both taking a sip of their own.

"Our siblings are idiots," Jared said. "They can't even see what's right in front of them. Seeley was about ready to kill me when I asked her to accompany me to the dinner. And you already know about her pushing me off a barstool… I mean even a pessimist could see those two are in love."

"But Tempe's never believed in love, except with Mom and Dad. She won't ever admit to being in love."

"She believes in it now. She told Padme, Seeley, and me." That caught Russ' attention, but Jared didn't even notice the shock and continued to talk. "Cam's been saying that they can't hold out much longer before they fall into each other's arms. I can't say I disagree with the looks they exchange."

"Your brother has convinced her that love is real?" Russ asked still stuck on that small fact.

"You're willing to give Seeley all that credit?"

"Something in the past few years has changed her mind. Can you think of anything else?" Jared shook his head. They both took another drink, and sighed.

Both their siblings were going away for a year. Both their siblings were ignoring what was right in front of them. Both their siblings were running from each other. Both their siblings were going on a life changing trip. Both their siblings were idiots.


	10. Booth Has a What?

**I don't own Bones or any of these characters, except the one I made up.**

* * *

Time flies when people are busy. Russ had thought that the next few months would move by slowly. But before he and everyone knew it, it was August and they were at Jared and Padme's wedding. It was a traditional wedding, with the priest, vows, and church. Though Booth wasn't there, Jared had pointed out Parker to Russ and Parker ended up dancing with Emma at the reception. He also was able to avoid the one person from the Tempe's work, her boss, Cam. He did have a chance to meet Hank Booth, though; it became very clear how much influence Hank had over Jared, and by the sounds of it, Booth, too. Despite the fun that everyone was having, Russ and Amy left about eleven because Emma and Hayley were almost falling asleep in their chairs.

Then about seven months after she left for her year long trip, Tempe called up Russ and told him that she was coming back to the United States several months early, and that she probably wouldn't be returning to Indonesia. Even still, after seven months, Russ went to visit his sister. She talked incessantly about her time on the dig. She told him about how the dig was a bust and that she was happy to be back and working with Booth. Russ couldn't help but notice the glint in his sister's eyes when she mentioned Booth. So when she casually mentioned that Booth had met someone while he was in Afghanistan, Russ to bite his tongue from asking if she was okay.

Of course, while visiting Tempe he had to see Jared. He walked into Wong Fu's and immediately saw Jared.

"Still in the honeymoon phase?" Russ asked as he sat down next to his friend.

Jared smiled before answering, "Yeah, Padme and I are doing great. She's stuck grading papers today. She told me to tell you hi. How are Amy and the girls?"

"Good. There good. How'd Booth do in Afghanistan? Tempe told me he was back." Jared's head dropped as he closed his eyes and let out a big sigh.

"My brother's an idiot."

Russ immediately knew this conversation was going to relate back to Booth's girlfriend, but decided to play along. "Huh?"

"Remember how we decided that Tempe and Seeley were idiots for leaving each other when they were so close?"

"Yeah. First time we really talked about them as a couple. You said Dr. Saroyan was expecting them to get together soon."

"Well, now there's a new problem in the way."

"What?"

"Some reporter chick named Hannah. I had dinner with Seeley and pops last night and he mentioned her like twenty times. Pops asked how serious he was about this girl and he said 'serious as a heart attack'. Last time my brother said that was when he and Rebecca were dating. Rebecca's Parker's mom."

"She and Booth were serious, huh?"

"He asked her to marry him… though that might have more to do with the fact she was pregnant with his more than love."

"So, he and Hannah are the real deal," a disappointed Russ sighed.

"You don't seem too surprised."

"Tempe mentioned her. Didn't have a name or profession to attach to it though."

"Should have guessed that she would know about Hannah."

"Do you think Hannah will be around for a while?" Russ asked. He knew how much Tempe cared about Booth, and would try to keep him happy. But he had also seen the disappointment in her eyes when she mentioned the woman.

"It's a long distance relationship for now. Seeley might be dedicated, but if they stay separated for more than a month, Seeley's going to fall for Tempe- again."

"Are you two meddling in Booth and the Bone Lady's love life?" Sid asked as he brought them food.

"Not really a love life at the moment, but yeah," Jared answered.

"You serious? They've been flirting since the first time Booth brought her in here. I would have thought they got together years ago."

"You and the rest of DC. And now Booth's got a girlfriend, that's not Tempe."

"And you said they were serious as a heart attack?"

"That's what Seeley said."

"I give it six months tops more before the Bone Lady inadvertently gets between the two of them."

"When was the last time you actually talked to Tempe or Booth?"

"I dunno. It's been a while. But people don't ever fall out of true love; and from what I saw a few years ago those two won't ever get rid of each other. No matter how many people they see."

"You think so, Sid?" Jared asked.

"I'd bet this joint on it." Sid indicated his restaurant.

"I know you're good with food; what's your track record with couples?"

"My personal one, not so great. Seeing couples in other people, about ninety- eight percent if the Bone Lady and Booth aren't together yet."

"I'll make you a deal," Jared started. "If Seeley and Tempe aren't together in one year, Russ and I get a free meal."

"And when they are?"

"What do you want us to do?" Russ asked wearily.

Sid thought only for a minute before answering, "Bring the happy couple here. As you pointed out, I haven't seen them in a while. And you two pay double for your meals." The three men shook on the deal; though they all hoped that one man would be correct.


	11. Bailing Out Part I

**I don't own anything except what I make up.

* * *

**

Several months passed after that day at Wong Fu's, Russ received a phone call from his father. Tempe had apparently had a slight mental breakdown; it had worried Booth enough to have him call their dad to tell him. Tempe, of course, was insistent that everything was fine, but Max could tell something was bothering her. He knew that she would never tell him, but thought Russ might be able to get her to open up. Russ agreed to come up for the week, but he'd have to come alone, since the girl's had school the upcoming week and Amy would need to watch them.

Of course, when he left the following Saturday, the girls were staying at their friend's since Amy and Padme had been planning a weekend get away for a few weeks. Amy would get back Sunday morning, and the girls had been begging to have sleepovers, so it seemed like a win- win. But because he had to drop off the young girls at a fairly reasonable time for their friend's parents, he didn't get to DC until about ten o'clock. He drove to Tempe's house, only to see from the parking spot that her lights were off. He knew that he was surprising her, but he also knew where she would most likely be. He immediately headed towards the lab.

When he finally got there and on his way into Tempe's office, he was stopped by a security guard. "Sir, you aren't allowed back here."

"I'm looking for someone," Russ said. He tried to step by the guard, but the man took a step in his way.

"No one's really here. It's ten- thirty on a Saturday night."

"Micah, I'm heading home," a familiar voice rang through the lab. Russ and the security guard, presumably Micah, looked up as Tempe came went out a different exit.

"Have a good evening, Dr. Brennan."

"Marco!" Russ called rather loudly, hoping to catch her attention. It worked. Suddenly she headed over to Micah and him.

"Russ? What are you doing here?"

"Can't a guy come visit his little sister every now and then? I haven't seen you since right after you got back a few months ago."

"I assume you can do whatever you want, considering you're a grown man. And I'm happy you're here," she added with a smile. "How long are you here for?"

"A few days. Come on, I'll take you out to dinner."

"How do you know I haven't eaten yet?" Tempe was always the rational. But Russ had gotten to know his sister over the past several years, and part of that included her not stop working to eat unless someone dragged her out of the lab.

"Have you?"

"No, but you're as bad as Booth was." Russ shot her a confused look before looking towards the security guard to see if he understood. He seemed to. Russ knew that Booth always dragged Tempe out of the lab when necessary, so why would he have stopped. Then Russ remembered about the new girl in his life, Haley, Helen, something that started with an H;anyway, Booth must be preoccupied now.

"Come on, I'll pay."

"I'm perfectly capable of paying for my own meal."

"Okay, then let's go."

Somehow Tempe ended up driving Russ' car. She had made some argument about how since he had been driving all day and was tired, and she was at pique mental acuity it would be more beneficial for her to drive; Russ hadn't been in the mood to bicker about it, so he handed over his keys. They had made about it about ten minutes away from the Jeffersonian when Tempe's cell phone began to ring. She handed it to Russ.

"It's Booth," he said, looking at the caller ID. "You want me to put it on speaker phone."

"Yes, that would be appreciated." Once the phone was on speaker, she said, "Brennan."

"Hey, Bones. Are you still at the lab?"

"No, I'm on my way to dinner, but I'm only ten minutes away. Do we have another case?"

"Uh, not exactly. Can you postpone dinner for like another hour?"

"Why? Are you in trouble? Do I need to get my gun?" Russ looked at his sister, immediately wondering how she had jumped to that so quickly.

"You know how I was going to take Jared and Hannah's brother out for a drink, so everyone could get to know each other?" Russ' attention was caught at his friend's name; he had a feeling that Jared had done something stupid again.

"Yes." Russ noticed her immediate change in mood. Her worried façade had immediately gone away.

"Well, let's just say not everyone gets along. Anyway, Jared and I kinda need someone to bail us out of lock up."

"Booth, I think I have my idioms confused again. I believe you're telling me your in jail and need me to pay your way out."

"No, you've got that idiom right, Bones."

"What did you do, Booth?" Russ couldn't help but let the irony get to him. The guy who had arrested him and his dad was in prison. Along with Jared, who Russ had tried to prevent from being arrested.

"Who's that? Am I interrupting a date?" Booth suddenly sounded angry, confused, and hurt all at once. Was he jealous that Tempe might be having a relationship? This guy who had a girlfriend? Maybe Sid wasn't too far off in his prediction.

"Russ."

"I believe it would be inappropriate for Russ and I to date for so many reasons, Booth," Brennan answered in addition to Russ making himself known.

"I just didn't recognize the voice. And to answer your question, I tried to break up a fight. My brother was stupid enough to get into a bar fight."

"Why isn't Hannah or Padme bailing the three of you out?" her voice was colder than before, and Russ wondered if the Booth noticed it too.

"Padme's having a girl's weekend with a friend. And Hannah bailed out her brother; she was willing to bail me out, but I couldn't leave Jared here alone in here."

"Why not bail both of you out?"

"She didn't really feel like freeing the guy who slugged her brother."

"Jared hit him? Why?"

"I dunno, and he won't tell me. Keeps saying I won't understand. He thinks for some reason you will though, Bones." Russ pondered what his friend and sister could have in common enough for her to understand punching someone.

"Why would understand?"

"Again, I don't know. So, will you come get us? Come on, you get to rescue me for a change."

"We're on our way." Brennan hung up the phone, before looking at Russ. "Dinner will have to be postponed. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Russ answer, with a light smug. He wasn't sure who it was going to be more entertaining to see imprisoned, the big or little Booth.


	12. Bailing Out Part II

**I don't own Bones.

* * *

**

Fifteen minutes later, Russ and Tempe walked into the police station. Russ had never felt very comfortable around cops, or any authority for that matter, so being at there was slightly uncomfortable. Tempe however seemed perfectly fine; but she always loved rules. She walked straight to the front and asked where they were to go. The receptionist gave vague directions which they followed.

They arrived to the temporary lock up, which of course was guarded. Tempe went up to the counter where two guards sat and said, "I need to pay to get my partner and his little brother out of confinement."

"Hey, you're that author," one of them noticed immediately. "The one who writes about the hot scientist and FBI agent."

"Temperance Brennan," the other one answered.

"Yeah!"

"Those books are about the science. The relationship between Andy and Kathy is merely a subplot," she answered. "But I'm more concerned about getting my partner and his brother out of here before tomorrow morning."

"We've got the real Andy in there?"

"No, Booth is not the real Andy. Andy is a fictional character, who has no relation to Booth. Andy is-" Russ decided to cut in before his sister went on a book rant.

"Can we bail 'em out or not?"

"And you are?"

"Her brother. Look, I drove up here from North Carolina, and I'd like to get some sleep tonight. She won't leave until she gets Booth out- Seeley and Jared Booth."

"Relax, man. We'll go get them. Ms. Brennan, you can pay here."

"It's Dr. Brennan," she said as she pulled out her wallet. The second security guard got up and headed towards the back to get the Booths.

"Hey, officer. Can I go back with you?" Russ asked curiously. He really wanted to give the brothers a hard time about being locked up.

"Sure, leave your wallet and anything else out here," he shrugged.

"I would like to come too," Tempe said, not wanting to be left out. She paid, and handed the other cop her purse and coat. Since she was without pockets they let her on back while Russ was empting his own pockets.

Russ could hear the conversation while he search his pockets (his pants and jacket had a total of seven of them, all of them packet full of things).

"Bones! You're here!"

"Thank God, you're here, Tempe."

"What were you thinking punching Hannah's brother, Jared?" Tempe was always direct.

"You won't get an answer from him, Bones; I've been trying for the past hour."

"Seeley told me that you lied to keep your dad out of jail," Jared started. "You had a chance of going to prison for that. I had a friend who did the same thing for me. Except he actually got sent to jail."

"Wait, what?" Booth questioned. He had apparently been caught completely off guard. "Jared, please tell this is some joke."

"What does that have to do with punching Hannah's brother?"

"I'm serious, Seel. This is why I didn't tell you. He saved my ass; so when Hannah's obnoxious drunk of a brother started bad talking him, I punched him. He was the ADA that prosecuted him. He knew that my friend was innocent but couldn't remember that I was the one who punched him. He thought my friend would flip on me when faced with jail, and he didn't." Russ finished his pockets at that point and immediately rushed into the room.

"You're an idiot," Russ called out to the younger Booth.

"Russ!" Tempe said in a scolding voice.

"Don't talk to my little brother that way!" Booth said simultaneously, anger in voice.

Russ ignored them both, and continued talking to his friend who was slightly shocked to see him. "You punch the same guy twice. And the second time you let him get your name."

"Is it any stupider than going to jail for a drinking buddy?"

"Wait, you were drunk the first time you punch Sam Burley? You told me you quit!"

"Relax, Seeley, the first time. It was… eight years ago?"

Russ nodded, before adding, "Yeah, but it worked out better that you didn't get kicked out of the Navy for a drunken assault. You got kicked out for saving your brother's life. Which one sounds better?"

"The second one," Tempe answered; all three men just looked at her for a second. "That was rhetorical, wasn't it?" They all slowly nodded.

The guard was still standing there feeling awkward and finally asked, "Do you want me to let them out yet?"

"Yes!" the Booth brothers answered. Brennan nodded and Russ shrugged. So, they were let out. It was then Russ noticed something didn't feel right. It took him from then until them to reach the elevator to realize it was because the sexual tension that usually radiated off of Tempe and her partner was missing; instead it felt like awkward tension.

It wasn't until they were out of earshot of the police station did conversation reoccur again. "So, where are the girls?" Jared asked Russ.

"Sleepovers. Amy's going to pick them up in the morning." Tempe turned to Booth.

"You told Jared about Russ' family?" Booth gave his partner a confused look.

"No; didn't you?" Brennan shook her head at his question. "Then how did you know about his kids?"

"I met them last year at Wong Fu's."

"You two knew each other before tonight?"

"Yeah. Jared's the idiot who punched Burley. Burley's the ADA who got me in jail."

"Wait, Jared, you got _Russ_ thrown in jail?"

"Not on purpose!"

"Why didn't either of you tell us?" Russ and Jared looked at each other and shrugged.

"Never came up."

"It never occurred to you to mention that you knew each other?" Booth asked skeptically.

"Tempe, you never mentioned Jared to me until tonight. And I haven't seen you since my dad's trial, Booth. We didn't realize it until after Taffet was arrested."

"There was always other stuff going on when I talked to you."

"Oh, by the way, Booth, good job on picking the sister of the ADA who hates mine and Jared's guts," Russ told him. Both the agent and anthropologist's faces darkened as Hannah was mentioned.

"Hannah and I aren't one very good terms right now. She's mad at me because _somebody_ punched her brother."

"If he had been bashing Tempe you would have done the same thing I did for Russ," Jared replied in defense. "You'd do it if it was anyone from the lab."

Booth opened his mouth to argue, but closed it quickly. Russ had a feeling he do more than punch someone for insulting Tempe.

Tempe and Russ dropped off Booth and Jared off at Jared's apartment (Booth didn't think he was entirely welcomed at his place).

"Russ, will you be in town for the next few days? We should go by Wong Fu's."

"Sounds great. Bring Padme, too. I haven't seen her in a few months."

"How well do you two know each other?" Booth asked, still a little agitated that he didn't know they knew each other.

"From the conversation, I would say they know each other fairly well," Brennan answered.

"Yeah, Bones, I got that." Jared and Russ both stopped. They had never heard Booth snap at Bones like that. Apparently, Booth caught the mistake too. "I'm sorry, Bones. Tonight's been rough. Between Jared punching Hannah's brother, Hannah refusing to bail Jared out, and finding out that Jared's the one who got Russ put in jail, I'm not having a good night."

"It's okay, Booth. Most people lash out to people they're close to when angry."

"I owe you. Don't let me forget it."

"Do I let you forget anything?"

"No, no you don't," he said with a smile that had clearly charmed many women. And suddenly it felt like a switch had been flipped. The sexual tension that Russ had always felt around the two was back. They still had a chance.

**The end**

**

* * *

**

**So, any final thoughts? Reviews always make my day. :)**


	13. Epilogue

**So, per your request I wrote an epilogue. I hope you all enjoyed the story and this last part doesn't mess it up.**

**And like always, I do not own Bones. If any of us on this website did, would really be posting stories?

* * *

**

It was six months after Jared and Russ had made their deal with Sid, and Sid's prediction still hadn't come true. Russ and Jared were both slightly annoyed that he had been wrong, because it meant their siblings were still ignoring what half of Washington could see, but that didn't mean, however, that the men weren't going to take advantage of a free meal. Russ came up the first free long weekend he had. His family had once again gone to visit Amy's sister, who had never been particularly fond of Russ.

He had stayed with Tempe who had worked most of the time, but that was nothing new. He had been able to talk some though, and usually over dinner. Now it was Sunday, and Russ had heard Tempe leave for work about eight in the morning. He went ahead and packed his things back up and stuck them in his trunk. He would have to call Tempe and tell her goodbye since he was going to meet Jared. He was just about to drive off when Tempe showed up and admitted that she wanted to go out to lunch with him. Russ was unable to come up with a reason to say no, and invited her to tag along. She said she wanted to grab something from her apartment and it would just take a minute. So as she moved towards her apartment, Russ pulled out his phone and called Jared.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, what's the chance you're bringing Padme?"

"About none, but Seeley's kind of coming." Russ let out a little sigh of relief; at least Tempe would be able to talk to Booth. Jared apparently misinterpreted the sigh as annoyance. "I can't tell him to go away. I mean, Tempe probably told you that Hannah and he broke up last night, and he needs some guy time. I was going to call and make sure that was okay."

"He and Hannah broke up? I was with Tempe last night and she didn't get a call like that. I don't think she got any actually…" Russ said, trying to think through the night before for a call with such a message.

"Well, they did."

"Do you think he minds having one girl around?"

"Amy's with you?" Jared asked.

"No, Tempe. She took off from working this afternoon to have lunch with me, and I couldn't really tell her she wasn't invited."

"That's fine. Seeley will probably want to talk to her more than us anyway… She was going to work on a Sunday?"

"It's Tempe." Apparently that was enough of an explanation.

"Right. So, same time at Wong Fu's?"

"We're about to leave," Russ said before hanging up.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Tempe and Russ walked into Wong Fu's. Russ had told her that it wasn't just going to be the two of them, but hadn't quiet had a chance of informing her who. As they entered, she commented, "It's been several years since I was here last."

"So, Sid told us," Russ answered. Then a sudden thought hit him. The deal. He and Jared had agreed to bring Tempe and Booth if they had gotten together. Tempe was here, and Booth was on his way with Jared. Before Russ could warn Tempe about Sid's comments or find Sid and tell him that he still hadn't won, another pair of bodies entered restaurant.

"Russ. Tempe," Jared greeted them.

"Hey, Jared. Booth." Russ returned. His eyes fell onto Booth. He looked like hell. He had some bags under his eyes; he even gave off a slightly weaker presence than usual. If Tempe's could have shot out of her head, Russ was pretty sure they would have (though he couldn't be sure if it was because he was their or if she noticed the change in his demeanor).

"Bones? You're having lunch with us, too?" Booth's eyes looked suspiciously towards Jared. He thought that this was Jared's attempt to cheer him up.

"I could ask you the same thing, Booth."

"Tempe decided to tag along," Russ supplied.

"Yeah, me too," Booth added.

"Are you alright?" Tempe asked suddenly.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

"Your demeanor is not as strong as usual. You seemed excessively tired. You have yet to smile, though you love Wong Fu's. You just seem to be wearing a wide face." Russ and Jared both exchanged a look of confusion, but Booth knew exactly what she meant.

"Long face, Bones. The phrase is long face," he answered ignoring her comment.

"You didn't tell her?" Jared asked.

"Tell me what?"

"I told you he didn't," Russ reminded his friend.

"Yeah, but I just thought you were wrong."

"Tell me what?" Brennan tried again.

"Can we not talk about my lack of a personal life in public?" Booth asked Russ and Jared with a touch of irritation in his voice.

"You have a personal life. You have a son, a brother, a grandfather, many friends, and a girlfriend," Brennan pointed out, unknowingly touching the source of the problem. Russ and Jared looked towards Booth whose eyes immediately became incapable of meeting his partner's. Russ dreaded someone having to explain the situation to Tempe, since she was never very good at picking up subtle clues like that.

"About that last one, Bones…"

Tempe's eyes began to fill with sorrow. In a sympathetic voice, she said, "Oh, Booth… I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Yeah, well, not everything's meant last," he shrugged. Russ suddenly felt like he was intruding on a private moment between the partners, and by Jared's expression he felt the same way.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm a guy, Bones. We don't exactly talk about our feelings," Booth answered.

There was a moment that should have only been between the partners, before Tempe asked, "Do you need a guy hug?"

Russ looked at Jared and mouthed 'A guy hug? What's a guy hug?' Jared shrugged, apparently as confused as Russ. Before Booth could respond though, Tempe was hugging Booth no way two straight guys had ever hugged before. Russ had a feeling that the term 'guy hug' was a misnomer.

"Well, you two kept up part of your end of the bargain," Sid announced, coming into the dining area of the bar. He saw the intimate embrace between Booth and Tempe and assumed that he had been correct. Tempe and Booth quickly separated, and turned a light pink color.

"Sid, x-nay on that."

"Booth and Hannah broke up last night," Russ filled in.

"Drinks on me," Sid said, understanding the bet was unknown to Tempe and Booth, and that his six month timeline was up. "Three beers and one club soda."

"Any specials today?" Jared had to ask.

"No; everything is normal price. No one's winning today. Maybe in a few months." Sid was not buying that there was nothing going on between the two partners. Not after a hug like that.

"You have specials?" Tempe asked, not understanding the coded words.

"Not really; sometimes your brothers get lucky though. Anyway, I'll bring out your drinks."

Sid left them to socialize. Russ and Jared watched and listened to Tempe and Booth talk and bicker, still feeling like they were intruding. But from the interaction one things was clear. If they were to place another six months timeframe on their bet with Sid, the partners' brothers be paying double for their meal.


End file.
